


unbounded

by Suicix



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: (more fluff than angst tho), Alternate Universe, Bathing/Washing, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-08 06:50:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1930815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suicix/pseuds/Suicix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As much as Drew is unnerved by Wade's constant underground fighting, he always does his best to care for his boyfriend when he comes home hurt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	unbounded

**Author's Note:**

> kinda based on [this](http://imagineyourotp.tumblr.com/post/71436235441/imagine-person-a-coming-home-from-a-fight) prompt, i guess.

It’s dark. It’s dark, and Drew’s worried even though he knows he shouldn’t have to be. Obviously, Wade can take care of himself and there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why Drew has perched himself by the window, any single noise whether from outside or inside the flat enough to make him jump and focus his attention to it, despite the fact that he can hardly see anything in the street down below in the street lamps’ dim light.

Eventually hearing footsteps coming up the stairs outside and a key turning in the lock sends a colossal wave of relief through him, but when the door opens and Wade steps inside, it’s impossible to ignore his slight hobble as he moves towards where Drew is seated.

Drew jumps up immediately, his arms reaching out to catch Wade’s. He can hardly see but he knows there’s at least  _some_ blood glistening on Wade’s face.

“You’ve… you’ve been fighting again.”

“And winning, too. Look at this.” Wade produces a pile of banknotes from his pocket, their holograms and his grin shining in the darkness. “This isn’t all of it, though – some of it got nicked when I was leaving, but it was three guys, so I just kept as much as I could. What else could I do?”

 _Three guys?_  Drew flicks a lamp on, and his heart sinks when he gets a proper view of Wade’s face. It’s nothing new to Drew but he’s still shocked by the sight.

“So you managed to fuck up that nose even more, I see,” he whispers as Wade winces at the touch of his fingertips. It really shouldn’t hurt enough to elicit any kind of reaction – maybe it’s even worse than Drew first thought.

“Shut up.” Wade’s tone is playful as he leans forward for a kiss, but Drew just holds him centimetres away, observing the fresh grazes and bruises.

“God. You’re a mess. Have you not  _seen_ yourself?”

Wade shrugs, running a hand across his face. “Can’t be that bad.”

“No, Wade. You need to stop this. How would  _you_  feel if I came home covered in bruises and scars?”

“I’d have the head of whoever did it on a platter, that’s for sure. But it could be worse. I could be dead.” How Wade can be so casual about this, Drew just doesn’t know – he guesses it's the amount of experience his boyfriend has with these near-death situations.

“And I thought you  _were!”_  It’s at this point that Drew becomes aware of the utter despair in his voice. “Next time, I’m coming with you, I’m coming with you and you won’t be able to stop m–”

“No.” The word cuts right through the air and Wade’s face and voice are stern. “I’m not letting you be around that kind of place, that kind of people, not again.”

“What, you think I’m not tough enough? Not strong enough?” Drew leans up on his toes so he appears taller than Wade; he’s only an inch shorter in the first place so it’s not exactly difficult.

Wade smirks; obviously that isn’t the case. “Of course not. You’d beat the bloody living daylights out of them if I let you.”

The smile is returned and Drew’s eyes narrow. “Exactly. I bet if I had been there tonight you’d still have all the money.”

Wade glances to the ground and Drew sees him flush. The money is his main incentive to keep fighting – at this point it's the  _only_ one, really – and Drew knows how much it pains him to lose any of it. He casts his mind back to one of the several times that Wade told him about Hungary, where Wade got  _stabbed_  just to keep his winnings. They both work, they both make somewhat of a decent living, but Wade likes to have some extra, just to feel more comfortable, more secure. It’s to help provide for both of them, he says, and while Drew appreciates the gesture, it doesn’t make  _him_  feel comfortable one bit, not anymore – not only does he have to spend sometimes hours at a time fretting over when or even  _whether_ Wade will be coming home, but it’s illegal too and Drew's pretty sure that all Wade's income from it goes undeclared. He didn't used to mind, he used to want to do this himself – he  _did,_ in fact – but now it fills him with apprehension.

There’s a growl from Wade and it’s apparent that he’s decided to ignore that comment. “I need a drink,” he snarls, but a hand catches him before he can leave for the kitchen.

Drew’s not normally one to refuse Wade a drink, but now he has to be sensible –  _God_ , since when has he been the  _sensible_  one in this relationship? He’s not sure that he particularly likes this role; usually it falls to Wade. “You need a  _bath_. I’ll run one for you. Go get undressed.”

It’s obvious that part of Wade wants to argue but he knows he can’t. They’re both damn stubborn, but right now Drew is definitely in the right and they both know it so unless Wade wants to be bombarded with  _I told you so_  for the rest of the week, it’s just easier for him to give up and give his boyfriend what he wants. So as Drew heads to the bathroom, Wade makes his way to their bedroom, shedding his jacket and pulling his shirt over his head on the way.

When he looks in the mirror on the bedroom wall, it’s the first time he’s seen his face in a while.

“Fucking hell. I look horrendous.”

“I told you, didn’t I?” Drew’s behind him now, arms wrapping around his bare chest, careful not to touch anywhere that may be sensitive.

“You’re not supposed to agree with that.”

Drew chuckles. “What am I supposed to say, then? Oh  _wow_ , Wade, look how gorgeous and tough you are, all beat up like this.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what you’re supposed to say,” Wade murmurs, and he turns his head back for a kiss – before another sarcastic remark can be made, probably. Drew meets it eagerly, and even though the position has to be straining Wade’s neck a little, they let it last.

“Bath should be ready soon,” mutters Drew when they break apart, so Wade kicks off his shoes and removes the rest of his clothes before following Drew into the bathroom.

It’s not the nicest room in the flat but there’s something about the near tangibility of the warmth in the air and the way the steam is rising from the tub that is ever so inviting, but of course Wade just  _has_  to pretend otherwise.

“Go on. Get in.”

“…  _Fine_. Although I’ll have you know that I don’t need you to go out of your way to help me.”

The water’s so warm and Drew wishes he could get in with him but the bath is only big enough for one. They’ve tried sharing in the past, but it always ends up in roaring fits of laughter as they realise that they both can’t possibly fit. Wade says that he’s going to make sure that they have a bigger bath when they move someplace new, but Drew knows that Wade means to save up some of his fight money to buy a house and he’ll need to do a lot more fighting if he wants to do that – something Drew is obviously against.

For now, though, Drew just kneels next to the bathtub and tends to Wade’s wounds, despite Wade’s ongoing protests that he’s fine and can do it himself. After a few minutes, however, Wade just gives in, closing his eyes as he lets Drew scrub and soap down his body. Usually Drew would be more teasing with his touch, but now he's just doting and warm, doing his best to make sure Wade is as comfortable as he can be.

“How the hell did you manage to get blood in your  _hair?”_ Drew reaches for the shower head on the wall and turns it on. Initially, it’s cold and it’s difficult for Wade to hide a slight squeak as the water hits him. The response from Drew is to laugh and lean forward to plant a light kiss on the side of Wade’s head, the water from the shower splashing across and hitting him, too. Then it’s time for Drew to apply shampoo, despite the great protestation from Wade about this.

But even as he complains, Drew knows that Wade is just pretending. Yes, Wade is tough, and for the most part, self-sufficient, but he still wants someone to be there for him. The fact that Drew has become this person – the one he can not only talk to and joke with about almost anything but also fall back into bed with  _and_  rely on to provide him with the utmost affection as the warm water relieves the tension from his sore muscles – is so unbelievably unreal to him. He really hopes that he can be that for Drew, too.

And he already is. Despite the anxious evenings, the sometimes sleepless nights, Wade (usually) always knows how to make Drew feel better. It only truly feels like home when Wade slips into the room after a night of fighting, his presence on the bed exuding warmth as he leans across to kiss Drew on the forehead before they melt into each other to become a tangle of limbs, skin against skin.

Now clean, Wade pulls the plug out of the bath and steps out, shivering at the sudden loss of the water’s heat surrounding him. A towel is chucked at him, and he wraps it around his waist after drying himself off a little. When Drew stands up he begins to rub Wade’s hair dry with another towel, ruffling it when he’s done.

“There you go,” he whispers, leaning in for a kiss before taking Wade’s hand and pulling him through the flat to their bedroom.

After shedding the towel, Wade is in bed and under the sheets almost immediately; although the bath did definitely help (and he has Drew to thank for that), he’s only just realising how exhausted he is. He watches as Drew strips down, eyes unable to stop themselves from taking a good look even though he knows that body so well already. Drew smirks at this before switching off the light and bouncing into bed.

For a while it’s silent, the only noise coming from the infrequent whiz of vehicles down the street. For Drew, this is somewhat soothing, but the words that end the near silence are even more so.

“I love you. You do know that, right?” Wade turns to his right so he can take a look in Drew’s eyes as the words force the younger man’s attention to him. “I know I might fuck up sometimes… I know I might fuck up a  _lot_ , but  _God_ do I love you.”

Drew nods, edging closer to Wade on the bed. He’s lying on one side of his body now, a hand reaching out to Wade’s face as gently as he can, careful of the bruises. “Of course I know. It’s not exactly something you hide very well, as much as you may try sometimes. Now…” He pauses until he decides that he definitely wants to hear about the subject that he’s going to request of Wade. “Tell me about tonight. The three guys.” Despite his apprehension regarding the topic while Wade is out fighting, Drew enjoys Wade’s stories about it afterwards. However, he’s also aware of how touchy Wade can get concerning occasions where he’s come up short. “Unless, you know. You don’t want to.”

But as Drew is the only one who Wade feels comfortable enough around to discuss his shortcomings with, he obliges.

“So, obviously, the actual fight I had earlier was won pretty easily. £1200 prize. Barely took… ten minutes, I guess. My opponent managed to surprise me a couple of times, but apart from that, I had him well scouted.”

It seems that that’s how all of Wade’s fights have been ending nowadays. Although the opponent is usually different each time (Wade likes to say that the people who lose to him never come back, but there are a few who do try their luck again), Drew wonders how Wade isn’t bored of all the monotony, but he knows it’s really the money that keeps Wade going back.

“Then, just before I was about to leave the alley, I found myself cornered. I barely got a glimpse of their faces before they began the assault, but I’m pretty sure I’ve beaten at least one of them before myself. Perhaps that’s why they decided to do it.” Wade shrugs as if this is totally commonplace and Drew’s hold around him tightens. No-one should have to face this kind of detestable bullshit, especially not Wade (although he is aware that Wade  _does_ often fight dirty – but he argues with himself that that’s not exactly in reality, that’s when his opponents are actually expecting an attack coming, not when they’re just innocently trying to get home like Wade was, like Drew himself was that time when... he pushes the memory out of his mind and pays attention to Wade's story).

Wade goes into more detail on the matter, Drew listening attentively to every word as his fingers stroke down Wade’s torso. 

“So how much of it did you manage to keep?”

Wade reaches behind to the nightstand, fumbling around for the money in the dark, the only light aiding him the moonlight cascading in through the window. “This is…” He counts up the notes. “… £750. So just over half.”

“Seems pretty respectable to me,” says Drew. “Considering that you were at a total disadvantage.”

“I could have done better,” Wade grumbles with a sigh. “But even so…” He scatters the money over the duvet that the two of them are lying under. “… This is decent.”

Drew finds himself reaching out to touch the crisp banknotes that have just landed on the sheets. Cash doesn’t have the same kind of hold on him that it has on Wade, but these £50 notes are just too clean and new to resist. “Interesting. Still doesn’t measure up to my  _favourite_ story, though.”

“That would be this one?” Wade lifts up his right arm, revealing the foot long scar underneath.

“Aye, that’s the one.” Drew traces a finger over it, nodding to show that Wade is indeed correct. Of course he would never want Wade to have to go through an ordeal like this one again, but he finds the story behind it absolutely intriguing.

“Aah, yes. Budapest. I’m never going back  _there_  again,” continues Wade, wrapping the arm around Drew before pulling him closer for a kiss; it’s warm and assures Drew of just how much he’s wanted.

It’s at this point that eyes start to close and breathing slows, lazy hands brushing against each other and fingers linking together. This is it; this is all he needs. Just to hold and to be held by the older man. Earlier on in the evening, Drew sure didn’t envisage falling asleep with Wade like this tonight, but rather expected himself to doze off sitting on the couch alone while he waited for Wade to come back. He couldn’t particularly care less about the money that’s still sprinkled out on the bed, but it makes Wade happy and thus, so be it. Money is relative, but the worth of this, of just being able to lie wrapped around each other like this with the knowledge that they'll both still be there for each other when they wake up, is unbounded.

**Author's Note:**

> Lots of allusions in this to previous events in this AU... but that's what prequels are for.


End file.
